National Association for the Blind U.P State Branch

National Association for the Blind U.P State Branch has been diligently working for the all round development of visually impaired and multi disabled Read morevisually impaired persons in the state of Uttar Pradesh, including their education, vocational training, employment , advocacy along with their personality development. Since its inception, each year has been a forward leap in NAB U.P’s reach in promoting the interests of people with vision loss in India. Mission : To strive for equality of opportunity for the blind in their education, training and employment. To stimulate the provision of remunerative employment for the blind in all occupations which they can successfully practice. To explore new avenues of employment for the blind. To promote the production and distribution of educational & recreational materials to the blind in all available media. To promote the education of the blind in the light of modern and practicable concepts. To undertake or promote public education with a view to disseminating information to the public at large regarding the potential of the blind as students, workers & citizens. To establish, sponsor or collaborate with other agencies in establishing organizations, institutions or services in fulfillment of any or all the above objectives. To undertake or promote research, designed to stimulate progress in any aspect of the rehabilitation of the blind.        Socio-economic rehabilitation of the visually challenged in mainstream, through education, training and employment.         To take up advocacy against all types of individual and structural discrimination and ensure full legal capacity.        Assure accessibility to the world of information. Priorities : Opening up of new vistas of opportunities for the neglected segments of our blind population residing in rural areas of U.P is our major concern. On the other hand, facilitating access to information and harnessing appropriate technologies for improving the quality of life of our blind friends is a matter of faith with us. Seeking out new and challenging work-opportunities commensurate with the interests and capabilities of our blind youngsters is yet another challenging task before us. We have to make our programs and services consistent with the daunting demands and realities of the twenty-first century. That is the volume and magnitude of work for which we strive to design and develop our future strategies and approaches. 1. Education 1.  Integrated Education Programme NAB has so far initiated education of more than 100 visually challenged children through “Itinerant Teacher Model” of IE, wherein blind children reside with their families and attend the nearest regular schools. They receive the services of a special educator called itinerant teacher, who attends to the following tasks: a. Teaching plus curriculum that is Braille, use of special arithmetic and geometric devices, orientation & mobility, activities of daily living and so on. b. Preparing/procuring instructional materials like   Braille/large print text-books, tactile maps, diagrams etc. c.   Family counseling. d.   Serving as a link between the child and the school  authorities and providing guidance on classroom management, remedial teaching for subjects like math and science, peer tutoring and      evaluation. e.   Community Resource Mobilization – arranging for readers, scribes, transcribers, private tutors, etc. NAB presently operates 11 IE units, catering more than 100 visually challenged children in Lucknow, Sitapur and Hardoi districts Uttar Pradesh, with a budgetary outlay of about Rs.16,50,000/-. The cost of education of one blind child is Rs. 15,000/- per year. 2.  Free distribution of Braille Kits Every blind child irrespective of whether he/she is studying in special school or IE program must have access to a braille kit. A Braille kit contains basic educational devices needed by blind students for learning braille, arithmetic, geometry, etc. The cost of a Braille kit is Rs.1,365/- (Including 5% GST). NAB distributes Braille kits every year to students studying in schools for the blind and IE program in U.P. 3. Home-based program for Multi-Disabled Visually Impaired (MDVI) children The additional disabilities MDVI children possess along with visual impairment are mental retardation, hearing impairment, autism, hyper activity, cerebral palsy etc. Itinerant teachers train these children in developmental areas like motor skills, communication, sensory skills, concept formation, activities of daily living, orientation and mobility, functional academics, pre-vocational skills, social skills, community-based instructions etc. Parents' meetings, picnics, outings, social gatherings, festival celebration, camps etc., are a regular feature in this program. NAB operates 4 units of home based program catering to 30 MDVI students. Cost of education of one MDVI child is Rs. 30,000/- per year. 4. Human Resource Development Programs Primarily aimed at community participation in IE Programs, the Department conducts short-term training programs for parents, volunteers and itinerant and regular teachers, throughout Uttar Pradesh. Integrated Camps are also organized at various locations to provide blind and sighted children the opportunity to come together and learn from each other. Similarly, special skills enrichment camps for visually challenged children are organized during vacations, to give them rigorous and intensive training in plus curriculum. 5. Consultative Services Professional staff of the Department participates in various seminars, workshops, training programs etc., in consultative capacity. 6. Sale of Aids and Equipment The Department stocks basic assistive devices used by the visually challenged in education, mobility, recreation etc. These items purchased from various manufacturers are made available to individuals and organizations, at cost. In Conclusion There isn’t a single aspect concerning education of the blind that NAB U.P hasn’t touched. In fact, many of the prevailing practices in the fields of other disabilities have their origins in the ideas generated by NAB U.P, in the sphere of education of the visually impaired. Our mission is to ensure that every blind or low vision child has access to formal education in an appropriate environment and is provided all the support services necessary for academic excellence and all round development. 2. Advocacy The various concessions and facilities available to the visually challenged today are a result of advocacy activities initiated by NAB. NAB liaises with Government and private organizations in respect of issues affecting the lives and dignity of people with visual impairment; promotes policy changes; and provides cost-free legal assistance to visually challenged individuals, through a Legal Aid Centre, to solve their personal and professional problems. Aim and Objectives General Advocacy for Protection of Rights of the Visually Challenged. Specific: (1) To Educate: Government officials about the policy changes required for inclusion of the visually challenged in mainstream society; private manufacturers about the consumer rights of visually challenged consumers; and the visually challenged about their own rights. (2) Set up legal aid cells for the blind. (3) Organize sensitization program for the stakeholders. (4) Implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 in letter and spirit. 2. Women’s Empowerment NAB aims at socio-economic empowerment and mainstreaming of blind women, besides ensuring them rehabilitation and welfare services and capacitating them to play a more pro-active role in the society. 3. Employment The Department plays a vital role in helping visually challenged job-seekers find suitable employment, by working closely with the candidates and liaising with companies – both in public and private sector – to give the blind the opportunity to get into the work force. In cases where blind persons are placed in the Government, public sector, determined efforts are made to optimally utilize the 4% reservation for the disabled provided under the RPwD Act (2016); secure jobs for the blind in the Government and public sector; and convince prospective employers in the private sector to employ the blind. NAB has immensely contributed to the process of identifying jobs in the open market, which could be managed by the blind.